Leylah Fernandez seals Singapore Open title with brilliant bagel against hapless Gibson

Leylah Fernandez has produced a brilliant week of tennis at the Singapore Tennis Open. This was capped off with a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Talia Gibson in the final to clinch a sixth WTA title, a first in just under a year.

It has been somewhat of a tricky year for the Canadian No.2 who has found her old self in Singapore. Wins over the Roland Garros finalists Mirra Andreeva and Maja Chwalinska set herself up nicely against Gibson in the final.

Her Aussie opponent was playing in a maiden WTA final after receiving a bye into the climax match thanks to Tatiana Prozorova being forced to withdraw from the event.

She could not live up to the expectations, but it could have been so different if she was more clinical in the first set. A set point and multiple break points at the business end proved to be costly, and her level dipped from there. In contrast, Fernandez moved up the gears. She bossed the rest of the match, securing a fabulous bagel to culminate the WTA 500 tournament, her second title at that level in a stunning display.

Both players settled early in this final. It was a totally new realm for Gibson, who at 22 was enjoying a breakout WTA campaign. She was hopeful of topping that with a first WTA title but would need to take her chances against a player with the calibre Fernandez has.

Gibson began with a hold, but Fernandez would strike first. She won the next three games to clinch a break advantage, but back came Gibson, reducing the break lead to nothing as she found her footing once more.

Fernandez again found a pathway ahead but the same thing happened as she failed to back it up with a hold. A third consecutive break of serve meant the scoreline was level at 4-4. Gibson ended this trend before having a solitary chance to wrap up the first set.

That set point was defended successfully by the former US Open finalist, who would not drop another game for the rest of the set. That again could have been different. Fernandez finally converted a fourth break point and would try and serve the first set out. Gibson raced into a 15-40 lead but was not taking her opportunities. Fernandez survived that scare and got the job done with a first set point.

Fernandez continued to mount the pressure. She made it four games on the spin with the Gibson service games under huge amount of scrutiny. Seven break points created in the last two games was not a good sign as the 24-year-old backed up the latest break with a tight hold.

Gibson was level-pegging in much of the first set against Fernandez. The second was a real contrast. Two games later, it was 4-0 and Fernandez was threatening a bagel along with the title. She had upped the gears and was putting on a show for the Singapore crowd.

A third break of serve in the set spelt the inevitable end of the road for Gibson. Fernandez saw the contest out to love to get the job done and commence her Asian swing in the best way possible.